Tie-plate



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

I. A. GRIFFIN.

TIE PLATE.

No. 557,667. Patented Apr. '7, 1896.

J r 1 i 1 I i 1 l I i I l V r L J L i W3 2&4

I l 17 I z J J M 7 3 T5 G 4 fi z Wifzew so. i 72767Zfi7.

W -Mw W/ (No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet 2.

No. 557,667. Patented Apr. 7, 1896.

NiTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE,

THOMAS A. GRIFFIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TIE-PLATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,667, dated April 7, 1896.

Application filed June 5,1895. Serial No. 551,755. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. GRIFFIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tie-Plates, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingapart of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tie-plates for use upon railways, and has for its object the production of a tie-plate of simple, durable, and economical construction, and one which, when applied to a tie, cannot creep thereon nor become detached from the rail. These objects, and such others as may hereinafter appear,are attained by the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a cross-section of a railway-rail in connection with a tie-plate embodying my invention, the plate being shown in end elevation. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 isa top or plan view of the tieplate detached from the rail and cross-tie. Fig. 4:1'61316861155 a plan view of the blank from which the tie-plate is formed. Figs. 5 and U are end and side views, respectively, of a modification of my tie-plate, shown in eonj unction with a rail. Fig. '7 is a top or plan view of the modified tie-plate, and Fig. 8 is an inverted plan view of the same.

Similarletters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates an ordinary railwayrail, and I3 the body of the tie-plate, upon which the flange or foot 0 of the rail rests, the tieplate being provided at diametricallyopposite corners with overhanging lips D, between which the flange of the rail is embraced, and from the two other diametrically-opposite corners of the plate are bent-down spurs E, which are driven into the cross-ties, so as to prevent the plate from creeping on the ties along the rails or from moving longitudinally out on the ties, which would result in spreading the rails.

My tie-plate is stamped out of sheet metal and bent into the form shown without the use of heat or rolling.

In Fig. a I have shown a blank for the simplest form of my tie-plate, which is made in the first instance from a rectangular sheet of metal which is cut and slitted while flat in the manner shown in Fig. &. The endsD are then bent upwardly on the dotted lines F to form the overhanging lips of the finished tieplate and the ends E are bent downwardly on the dotted lines G to form the spurs of the finished tie-plate.

It will thus be seen that with Very slight waste of material my tie-plate is formed out of a rectangular sheet of metal and provided with engaging-lips for the flange of the rail and with spurs to engage with the cross-ties, and this is done without heating or rolling the metal.

If preferred, additional security may be afforded by providing along the forward and rear edges of the tie-plate sharpened or beveled flanges H, which may be formed by upsetting the edge metal of the blank,or by using a slightly wider blank, along the edges of which this flange may be formed by bending the metal and afterward sharpening the same by hammering orgrinding, or any other suitable method commonly practiced in the art. These flanges, when sunk into the cross-tie, serve to reinforce the spurs E in maintaining the tie-plate firmly in position against move ment in any direction, either along the rail or laterally with the rail.

A tie-plate constructed in accordance with my invention is exceedingly simple, cheap, and durable, easy of application and performs the useful service of preventing the spreading of the rails as well as undue wear upon the cross-ties.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A tie-plate composed of sheet metal having upwardly and inwardly bent overhanging lips at diametricallyopposite corners thereof to embrace the sides and upper surface of the flange of the rail, and down wardly-bent spurs at the other diametrically-opposite corners slitted longitudinally and also transversely, said lips and spurs being formed by bending the slitted edges of said tie-plate, substantially as described.

3. A blank for a sheet-metal tie-plate comprising a body portion 13, the rectangular ends D at opposite corners thereof and the triangular endsE at the other corners thereof, substantially as described.

THOMAS A. GRIFFIN. lVitnesses:

M. E. SHIELDS, CHAS. B. BOWEN. 

